Exclusive: DeRay Davis Speaks Out on Canceled StrikeForce Fight Against Mark Miller

fightclubhouse.com: As many of us already know by now, you were scheduled to fight Mark Miller at StrikeForce: ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’, but your fight was mysteriously canceled. Can you tell us why, specifically, the fight was canceled?

DeRay Davis: From what I was told the fight was canceled due to time constraints. The commissioner told us that the female fight (Coenen vs. Modafferi) was pushed before us. I waited and started warming up. The women’s fight only lasted about a minute. Then when I was getting ready to walk out I was told that we were going on after the main event (Fedor vs. Rogers).  At this time, I was getting irritated and frustrated from constantly waiting. After the main event happened, we got ready to walk out, and I heard over the walkie-talkie “Tell both fighters they’ll get paid. The fights are over”.

fightclubhouse.com: There have been reports circulating on the Internet that both you and Mark Miller were paid the “appearance fee” and “win bonuses”. Can you confirm this?

DeRay Davis: At first, we got our appearance fee only. They told us we weren’t going to get the win bonus, and we should be happy to get the appearance fee. My mentor called me a few days ago and told me that both Miller and I would get the win bonus.

fightclubhouse.com: There were also reports claiming that sponsorships may have been lost by you or Miller. Did you lose any sponsorships as a result of the cancellation?

DeRay Davis: Yes. A few of them, but most of them understood there was nothing I could do about it. I had to use my bonus money to pay back the sponsorship checks that I had already cashed because I didn’t fulfill my part of the agreement.

fightclubhouse.com: Did StrikeForce offer to reschedule the fight in the Chicago area in order to give you an opportunity to fight in front of your hometown fans? Can you give more details on this offer? What promotion was it through?

DeRay Davis: Actually, I read that on some forums, but neither myself nor my coach was contacted about a rescheduled fight with Mark Miller. I would have taken it, but from what I read, Miller had a fight coming up after the StrikeForce card. I personally never got a call, but I would have definitely taken it. I would have taken the fight regardless, but it wouldn’t mean the same thing [fighting on a small card] as fighting on StrikeForce. This was a televised event with 12,000 people in the arena. It’s a make-up, but it doesn’t give back what they took from us.

fightclubhouse.com: Since this was in front of the home town crowd, approximately how many tickets did you sell to friends and family?

DeRay Davis: I can’t give a precise number, but I can let you know that it was well over 100 people. They were pretty upset that the fight didn’t happen. It’s a disappointment to Miller and I, and our fans to put all that time in and have nothing to show for it. I got paid, but I’m a fighter, and I would have rather fought.

fightclubhouse.com: You said that the training camp for this fight was one of the most intense training camps you had ever gone through. How does it affect you to prepare so vigorously, and then have your fight canceled on short notice?

DeRay Davis: I’ve been fighting and training for a long time, and this training camp was the most rigorous, and by far the toughest training camp I’ve ever had. I was training with nothing but high caliber fighters from Shonie Carter, Terry Martin, to Ricardo Lamas. I also did some sparring at Chicago Boxing and over at Team Colon with high level guys at those places. I went through a month and a half of getting beat up, just for 15 minutes of fame, and then I’m left with an empty feeling, and I’m pretty sure Miller felt the same way.

fightclubhouse.com: Has something like this ever happened to you in the past?

DeRay Davis: No. Never.  Not even in the smaller shows. To sit there and know that I’m not injured, and know that my opponent is no more than 20 feet away in the next locker room, and he’s not injured either. I know I’m ready to go, and he’s ready to go. It’s a slap in the face to be honest with you.

fightclubhouse.com: What’s next for you? Another fight in StrikeForce? Are you going to fight for them in the future?

DeRay Davis: My contract was for that fight only. Depending upon the performance, I was maybe going to sign a multi-fight contract. I don’t know for sure what will happen with that. A promoter called me recently and offered a fight in New Orleans, but I’m probably just going to do a few jiu-jitsu tournaments, and after that I’ll probably just prepare for 2010 and see where that leaves me.

fightclubhouse.com: Anyone you’d like to thank?

DeRay Davis: I’d like to say thanks to all of the sponsors that stuck by me. Eminent, Good and Evil Clothing, MMA Stop, and Bob’s Place.

picture courtesy of Sherdog and Team Colon MMA